this time yesterday I started a Craft Pack Marathon...

....75 packs needed to be finished so I could post out 8 wholesale orders - all the other items were made by John - he's been making wholesale orders whilst I have been doing all the website orders.  I had already started cutting but needed to find a few spare hours to get these finished!

I counted out buttons (these are new buttons and will be on the website in a few weeks)

then I added lots of ribbons

stacked them all up to make more room on the table

cut lots of felt shapes (flowers/hearts/easter eggs) in lots of different colours
went home and carried on cutting late into the night .... got up at 6am and did more cutting...got to the workshop at 7.45am and started packaging ... and Ta DAH!
75 craft packs all finished and now in boxes and on their way with Mr Parcelforce (don't worry I didn't take photos of boring old cardboard boxes)

 

These craft packs are new - I launched them at the trade fair and they were really popular - I will be adding them to the website as soon as I have made some more!

teeny tiny ribbon

I love teeny tiny things - and now I have some *new* teeny tiny ribbons in the shop. 

It's just 3mm wide and comes in 20 fab colours - and - as if that's not good enough - it's a total bargain!

5m costs just £1 - or you can buy a mixed bag with 1m of every colour for £5

I shall be keeping all the colours in stock all the time because I love it, and I hope you do too?
quick link:  for teeny tiny ribbon (new and old) click here

colourful hearts

I could fill this post with details of my recent meeting with my accountant about being a limited company, or with details of the many phone calls between me and Mr Site (my website people) and the many problems I have had which they finally fixed.  Or I could tell you about the phenomenal amount of orders that have been worked on this week - OR because that would all be a bit dull, we could see my new buttons instead!

 aren't they glorious?

 I love the colours AND that they all have red dots

both sizes are available now in my pick & mix button selection :-)

website hiccups

my website went bananas today!
I am so sorry if it has caused you headaches - but I *think* it is all sorted now!
please email me if you have an unresolved issue (sepoulton{at}btopenworld.com)
For the record I didn't break it this time (normally it is me who breaks it whilst fiddling with things I don't understand)- the website people can't see anything wrong with it but after my phoning it miraculously works again - hooray!
and it is a very good thing too because new stocks are arriving:

yesterday's delivery: 6 dozen bottles of glue - from a new supplier who always* has it in stock - never again will I run out of this vital sticky stuff!
*so far an untested statement, but first impressions are good!
Felt Glue is HERE

a happy stitcher

yesterday's whole afternoon of sewing was fun - I must do it more often ;-)

my prize

the trade fair related paperwork is all done. 
the trade fair stock & all the displays have been put away (tidily this time - they were all in boxes on my cutting table!)
all my shops are open and stock levels have been re-filled and checked.
and now? now I get to have some felty fun :-)

trade fair snapshots

We're back, and have been in the workshop all day - all normal orders (from eBay and my website) are being sorted and will be posted tomorrow, there are a lot to do but we're trying our hardest to make sure they'll go out tomorrow - I'm also ploughing my way through show orders and requests to open wholesale accounts - there's such a lot of paperwork, which is a perfect excuse to sit down and rest my poor feet! 
The show was great - we met loads of people and talked craft for 3 days solid!  AND I managed to rush round before the show opened yesterday and place orders for new things - think I went a little mad on some stalls, but they didn't add the totals up so I can't be sure ;-)
A couple of the Big Boys stopped by the stand and had a quick chat, there wasn't a whisper of an order but it is much better than them walking straight past :-)
We will be back there next year, that's for sure!

after dinner drinks

 we are in Birmingham and our stand is complete:

 it's very full up and colourful - just the way I like it!

 We are both t.i.r.ed. after a hard days work - and very much looking forward to the show starting tomorrow.

...and now it's time to have some dinner and a glass of wine or two :-)

my no posting days

Ok here's the plan while we are at the trade fair:
my NOTHS, folksy & etsy shops are on holiday mode
my website and my eBay shop will remain open for orders while we are away and any orders received will be dispatched on THURSDAY 21st February.
but if you are quick - all orders received by 10am tomorrow (14th Feb) will be posted before we go...so if you need something quick smart best order now :-)

To say sorry for the delay you can use this discount code sorryforthedelay for 10% off your orders until I am back!
* discount code only works on my website.  discount offered from 14/2 - 20/2.  you can use the discount as many times as you like.  I CAN NOT apply the discount unless you use the code.

moo

I haven't used Moo for a while

but I decided to return to them for some new business cards and some postcards too
The postcards are gorgeous - lovely and thick and the photo side is super glossy, I tried to take a photo of that - no easy task let me tell you!!

I chose regular sized business cards, rather than the Mini Moos which are the kind I have had before, and I upgraded to rounded corners for no better reason than because I fancied them - sadly Moo didn't live up to their good service reputation and I only received 50 of my cards & 150 of someone elses!

They are reprinting more cards and have said they *may* be with me on Friday.
But they can't promise. 
Nor can they hurry up.
Even though I need to take them with me this Saturday!
So if you see me or John at the Trade Fair with a biro in our hands, by warned - we may be writing our business details on the back of peoples hands !!

wholesale website

After a looong weekend of website work my wholesale website is finished and open for business!
hooray!
All website visitors are able to take a look and see what's available but the prices and the ability to place orders is only for registered customers
the wholesale website can be found here

b.o.x.e.s.

I've been making boxes most days this week - I managed to snap a few photos here and there

 so it's time to have a little blog round up of made boxes

I can't leave the blog all empty and have you think I'm not doing anything, now can I?

sample making

Sample making is fun!

ooohhhh look:

 I have giant postcards!

It's really hard to see how big they are in a photo so I popped a normal postcard in for scale - they are part of the Trade Fair display - and not the only giant thing either, but more on that another day!

a Friday Flock

I was up bright and early this morning putting the finishing touches to these little birds, I like to get all my handmade orders out nice and quickly but this one took longer than I thought it would, hence the early morning alarm call - sewing in the morning is a very relaxing way to start the day and  I'm glad it's finished on time and on it's way but I'm beginning to think I got up too early cos it's only 3.30pm and I can't stop yawning!
Time for a coffee me thinks!

exciting button-y times

I have had a delivery of 49,500 buttons on my work table since Saturday.  They are new, and exciting but will be launched at the trade fair so they will have to remain hidden from view for the time being - BUT the delivery also contained new colour samples of teeny tinys, and they are all for you and me:

I only have a handful of each colour so they aren't in the shop yet - but I just ordered LOTS more so they will be in there as soon as possible!
mmmmm teeny tinys in even more lover-ly colours!

trade fair news

preparations for my first ever trade fair are continuing - my to do list is growing daily, and I'm juggling lots of projects all at once .... I just worked out that in 16 days time I will be in Birmingham setting up the stand!! *ah! panic!*

My stand is in the section called Bright Sparks and I am super happy to see my Robin Kit in this mailer I received!...

...right.  16 days - no problem!

Tuesday. A mini roll day.

Sometimes different customers from different online shops order the same things on the same day.

Like today.
Today is officially a mini roll day!

Phew-ee what a lot of rolling!

custom orders

A tortoise keyring (adapted from my brooch design)

 and a set of 6 drawing pins  in custom colours

I like hot pink and lime!

free kit button bags

I have so much fun making these button bags, they are part of the free kit when customers fill their loyalty card....counting out keyrings & brooch bars & polka dot buttons...

...choosing a nice selection of flower, heart, star and shape buttons ....

and my favourite of all, delving into the brights bag and picking one of each lovely bright colour